What I Learned From Trying 5 Popular Wedding Makeup Options

I never could've guessed that deciding on my wedding makeup look would be as difficult as finding the perfect wedding dress. As someone who writes about beauty for a living, selecting a service and choosing a look should be easy, right? Wrong.

Like many brides-to-be, I want to look like the best version of myself on my wedding day, but I was having trouble finding someone I could trust to give me the makeup of my dreams. I did some Googling and asked former brides which services they had used for their weddings. The most common responses I got were: airbrush makeup (which is applied with an airbrush machine rather than with traditional brushes and sponges), a makeup artist found through Instagram, amakeup counter, a makeup service app, and a good ol' fashioned DIY — either by the bride herself or by her friend.

So I tried all five to find out which was the best for me. Because I still wasn't sure of the look I would want, I gave each makeup artist minimal instruction and only told them I wanted to see their interpretation of wedding day makeup.

The Airbrush Makeup Artist

I'd never tried airbrush makeupbut had heard it was the way to go for weddings, due to its even finish. I wore this look for the entire day, and it didn't budge even slightly — an important quality to look for in products you'll be wearing for hours on end. The artist also applied airbrush makeup to my brows, as well as eye shadow and eyeliner, but the eye look overall was a little too subdued for my wedding. I'll probably do something more dramatic for the big day.

My biggest takeaway: You don't have to cake on heavy foundation to have full-coverage makeup. I was impressed by how evenly and gradually airbrush makeup applies and loved that it didn't look super heavy.

I found Mac Daddy how you find most people on Instagram: through a tangled mess of social-media deep-diving. I first discovered Artist Couture highlighter, then learned that its creator was none other than the Insta-famous makeup artist. He stopped through New York recently, so I asked him to do my makeup — it's always been a dream of mine for an Instagram makeup artist to contour my face. For this look, he focused on my skin, keeping my eyes and lips simple.

Some might find going to a counter on the big day inconvenient, but it's a solid option if you don't want to spend a fortune and still want to get your makeup professionally done. Ashley gave me a "halo" eye look, meaning she focused the darker shades of shadow on the inner and outer corners of my eye and the lightest, shimmery colors on the middle of my lid. This was a cool idea, because it was different from how I normally wear my makeup (I like to elongate my eyes by keeping the lighter shades on the inner corners), but it wasn't so different that I was unrecognizable to myself.

My biggest takeaway: Only apply makeup where you need it. Ashley didn't apply foundation, concealer, or powder all over my face — she only used those products in spots where I had discoloration or areas of concern (read: zits). If you're not someone who normally wears foundation, there's no need to load up on it for your wedding day if you don't want it — or don't need it.

The Makeup Service App

Beauty service apps are a somewhat new but super-convenient option for brides. For this look, I used The Glam App, which allowed me to request the kind of look I wanted from a list of options, along with the price I was looking to spend and the time slot I needed. From there, the app set me up with a makeup artist, who met me at my office. I loved the shimmery, smoky eye she gave me — it was just dramatic enough to make a statement. I would probably go with a bolder lip color, though, since this one faded a little in the camera flash.

My biggest takeaway: False lashes really make a difference, and it's the easiest way to bump your everyday look up a notch. They might be a little intimidating, but they show up in photos and really make a difference.

The DIY

I've written about doing your own makeup for your wedding day before so I wasn't too intimidated going into it. Paying someone else to worry about doing your look is always an option, but in the end, nobody knows your face and your taste better than you do. I decided to do my go-to eye makeup look, but I used darker shades and shimmery versions of the usual colors I wear to amp it up. I still don't know if this is how I'll do my makeup for the big day but it's comforting to know I have myself as a backup option.

My biggest takeaway: If Kate Middleton could do her own wedding makeup, I can too. That isn't a diss on Kate's skills; that's my way of saying if the royals doesn't even need to hire someone to do their makeup, then maybe I don't either.

The Takeaway:

1. Be specific with what you want. Bring inspiration photos if you have an idea and don't be afraid to speak up if you don't like something. Each of the final looks were so different because each of the makeup artists had a different interpretation of bridal makeup. Make sure you and your makeup artist are on the same page.

2. Have a trial. Unless you really don't care how your makeup turns out, schedule a trial for your shower or another highly photographed event, so you and your makeup artist can figure out ahead of time what works and what doesn't.

3. Factor in the vibe of your big day. The makeup look for a destination wedding on the beach will differ from the makeup at a 500-person church wedding. Make sure your artist is aware of the vibe ahead of time, so he or she can bring the right products.

4. No matter the budget you're working with, there's an option for you. If you want to go all-out for your wedding makeup and hire a celebrity artist, by all means! If you'd rather save that money for something else, there are enough resources and YouTube videos available for you to learn how to do it yourself — I know from experience.